"Yes, madam just as if he were in the next room. And when Mr. Morgan says 'Goodbye,' you will say 'Goodbye,' and hang up-as you have seen me do."
And all that Parker had told her came to pass as she carried out his instructions. The two different slaves obeyed the magic of the number she gave them, and Francis talked and laughed with her, begged her not to be lonely, and promised to be home not later than five that afternoon.
Meanwhile, and throughout the day, Francis was a very busy and perturbed man.
"What secret enemy have you?" Bascom again and again demanded, while Francis shook his head in futility of conjecture.
For see, except where your holdings are concerned, the market is reasonable and right. But take your holdings. There's Frisco Consolidated. There is neither sense nor logic that it should be beared this way. Only your holdings are being beared. New York, Vermont and Connecticut, paid fifteen per cent, the last four quarters and is as solid as Gibraltar. Yet it's down, and down hard. The same with Montana Lode, Death Valley Copper, Imperial Tungsten, Northwestern Electric. Take Alaska Trodwell as solid as the everlasting rock. The movement against it started only yesterday late. It closed eight points down, and to-day has slumped twice as much more. Every one, stock in which you are heavily interested. And no other stocks involved. The rest of the market is firm."
"So is Tampico Petroleum firm," Francis said, "and I'm interested in it heaviest of all."
Bascom shrugged his shoulders despairingly.
"Are you sure you cannot think of somebody who is doing this and who may be your enemy?"
"Not for the life of me, Bascom. Can't think of a soul. I haven't made any enemies, because, since my father died, I have not been active. Tampico Petroleum is the only thing I ever got busy with, and even now it's all right." He strolled over to the ticker. "There. Half a point up for five hundred shares."
"Just the same, somebody's after you," Bascom assured him. "The thing is clear as the sun at midday. I have been going over the reports of the different stocks at issue. They are colored, artfully and delicately colored, and the coloring matter is pessimistic and official. Why did Northwestern Electric pass its dividend? Why did they put that black-eye stuff into Mulhaney's report on Montana Lode? Oh, never mind the rest of the black-eying, but why all this activity of unloading? It's clear. There's a raid on, and it seems on you, and it's not a sudden rush raid. It's been slowly and steadily growing. And it's ripe to break at the first rumor of war, at a big strike, or a financial panic at anything that will bear the entire market.